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The Federal Trade Commission’s summary of fraud and identity theft reports in 2022 revealed that the agency logged 1.1 million reports of identity theft, 22% of all reports last year. The median identity theft loss per instance was $765, with $414 million lost overall.
Identity theft is often a crime of opportunity, with thieves targeting those most vulnerable. Reducing the risk of identity theft will go a long way to avoiding identity theft entirely. You can set up complex, unique passwords for each online account you own, shred sensitive documents before throwing them away, or sign up for an identity theft protection service.
If that third option sounds enticing, Aura may be a good option.
Aura Identity Theft Review
Aura offers comprehensive identity protection at some of the best prices on the market, which should be expected from one of the services we included in both our best credit monitoring services and best identity theft protection services guides.
While we like Aura’s three-bureau credit monitoring and antivirus security, what really stood out to us is Aura’s White Glove Fraud Resolution. If your identity is stolen as an Aura customer, an Aura White Glove agent will help you create a plan to prevent additional damage and recuperate losses.
To top it off, Aura has a fairly well-reviewed mobile app. It also has a record of consistent customer care compared to other identity protection services, earning an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
With only one plan available, you’ll get everything Aura has to offer when you sign up. This is a double-edged sword, especially for people who only want light identity theft protection. If you just want some light credit monitoring and dark web monitoring without anything else, you’ll find cheaper options with identity protection services that have various tiers of protection.
That said, Aura is one of the more affordable identity theft protection services on the market. It is also one of the only services among the best identity theft protection services that provides a discount for subscribing annually instead of monthly.
Aura Identity Theft Plans
While most identity theft protection services offer plans based on the level of protection they offer, Aura has one plan with the same level of protection. The only exception is the Aura Family plan, which includes parental controls not included in the individual or couple plans.
Aura IndividualAura CoupleAura FamilyMembers includedOne memberTwo membersFive members, unlimited childrenIdentity theft insurance$1 million$2 million ($1M per adult)$5 million ($1M per adult)White Glove Fraud ResolutionYesYesYes24/7 Customer supportYesYesYesAnti-Virus10 devices20 devices (10 per adult)50 devices (10 per adult)VPN10 devices20 devices (10 per adult)50 devices (10 per adult)Safe browsing10 devices20 devices (10 per adult)50 devices (10 per adult)Online account monitoringYesYesYesSSN and personal info monitoringYesYesYesSpam call and junk mail removalYesYesYesHome title and address monitoringYesYesYesCriminal and court records monitoringYesYesYesCredit monitoringYesYesYesCredit lockYesYesYesBank account monitoringYesYesYesFinancial transaction monitoringYesYesYesMonthly credit scoreYesYesYesAnnual credit reportsYesYesYesParental controlsNoNoYes
Aura Identity Theft Features
Seeing all these features at once can be a lot to digest, so let’s unpack some of Aura’s offerings.
White Glove Fraud Resolution
White Glove Fraud resolution is a key feature for Aura and its sister service, Identity Guard. The service provides a White Glove case manager to help you recover your identity if you’re the victim of identity theft. With this manager, you can create a plan to recuperate any losses due to identity theft and limit the risk of future instances of theft.
Credit monitoring and credit reports
If an identity thief obtains your social security number, they will usually try and use it to borrow money under your name. It’s important to catch any instances of identity theft early to mitigate damage. Aura reviews your credit report and notifies you of any changes it detects. Unlike other identity theft protection services that reserve tri-bureau monitoring for their more expensive tiers, Aura provides monitoring from the three bureaus in its single plan.
Depending on which plan you sign up for, Aura also provides annual credit reports from the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are allowed one free annual credit report per credit bureau. If this feature is why you want an identity theft protection service, it’s best to hold off on making any purchases until next year, as you can access free weekly credit reports until the end of 2023.
Note: On top of credit monitoring, Aura also provides your Equifax credit score.
Dark web and criminal activity monitoring
Dark web monitoring and criminal activity monitoring are two of the services that most identity theft protection services perform that are hard to replicate on your own. Criminal activity monitoring scans public records for your information, indicating criminal identity theft. Dark web monitoring searches for your personal information exchanging hands on the dark web. Aura folds this service into its personal information monitoring.
Parental controls
The only feature that’s exclusive to Aura’s family plan, this service gives parents control over their kids’ devices with screen time limits and internet usage tracking. Parents can also block and filter content for their children. For parents with kids who play video games, Aura also offers monitoring for in-game voice and text chat.
One notable exclusion in Aura’s coverage for parents is the lack of social media monitoring.
How Much Does Aura Identity Theft Protection Cost?
Since Aura offers one protection plan, its price tiers only change based on how many people sign up for identity protection. The displayed price on Aura varies based on how you access its website. Listed below are the best prices we found.
MonthlyAnnuallyIndividual$12$108Couple$20$204Family$30$300
How to Buy Aura Identity Protection
When you sign up for Aura, you can usually find a discount floating around. You can try searching for “Aura discount,” which will often yield a better deal than if you click Aura’s “Pricing” tab.
Usually, you’d have to choose between plans that vary in protection and pricing, but your plan with Aura depends on who you want to cover. Once you make your choice and get started with the sign-up process, you’ll have to be prepared to input the following information:
NameEmailHome addressPhone numberDate of birthSocial Security Number
You’ll need to decide if you want to pay monthly or commit to the annual billing cycle, which will save you money but locks you into the service.
After you’ve completed your account, your 14-day free trial will commence. If you signed up for the annual membership, you’ll have 60 days to cancel the service for a refund.
Note: Your 60-day refund window begins at the start of the service, not the end of the 14-day trial.
How Aura Compares to Its Competition
Compared to the other identity theft protection services included in the best identity theft protection services, Aura stands out as the cheapest service. It’s also the only service included that offers a discounted price for an annual subscription.
CompanyMonthly subscription costAnnual subscription costAura All-In-One$12$108IdentityForce Ultra Secure+Credit$29.95N/AIdentity Guard Ultra$29.99N/AIDShield 3 Bureau Plan $19.95N/APrivacyGuard$24.99N/AComplete ID$13.99 or $8.99 based on Costco membership typeN/A
Note: Complete ID is potentially the cheapest service, but you must pay for an Executive Costco membership to qualify for the lowest price, which costs $120 annually.
Aura Identity Theft Protection Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does Aura offer a trial period?
Yes, Aura offers a 14-day free trial period for you to test out its services before committing to Aura. You also have 60 days to cancel Aura and receive a refund.
Can I cancel Aura?
Yes, you can cancel Aura. There is a 60-day money-back guarantee on Aura annual plans. If you signed up for a free trial, your 60 days start on the day your trial began.
How can I contact Aura customer service?
You can contact Aura by calling 833-552-2123 or by emailing support@aura.com.
Does Aura offer antivirus protection?
Yes, Aura offers extensive antivirus protection such as anti-ransomware, anti-spyware, and anti-adware.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Evaluate Identity Theft Protection Companies
Most identity theft services follow the same tiered pricing system, offering more features for more money. Because these companies also offer similar services for their premium service, we rate companies based on what they offer at what price point. Along the way, we note exceptional inclusions and exceptional exclusions. We pay particular attention to public records and dark web monitoring as those services are difficult to replicate on your own.
Using these criteria, Aura stands above other identity theft protection services by including every feature it offers in a single plan. You don’t need to upgrade to get more protection or downgrade for a more reasonable price.
While this is our primary consideration when we rate identity theft protection companies, we also look at a company’s Better Business Bureau rating to see how responsive it is to its customers. We consider aspects such as return policies and free trial offerings.
You can find our full explanation on how we rate identity theft protection services here.